The federal government and its private investor partners may have concluded that the new national carrier, known as Nigeria One, would start operation with 50 aircraft that would be delivered before the end of next year.

Among the aircraft types that would be operated by the national airline include Embraer, Bombardier and Boeing.

THISDAY gathered from authoritative sources on Wednesday that while Embraer short haul aircraft types would be used for domestic operations, medium haul Bombardier would be used for regional services and Boeing planes would be used for long haul international flights.

All these aircraft would be delivered from the manufacturers, but it is not known yet whether they would be leased or they would be acquired by outright purchase.

As government is planning on how to establish the airline, it is also brainstorming on route development and reporters learnt that right now the body set out to establish the airline is meeting with some airlines for possible code share and other partnership with the future airlines, and in recognition of this the federal government is streamlining its bilateral service agreements with individual countries, aware that it would soon have its national carrier.

As the Ministry of Aviation has reiterated, the federal government does not intend and will not fund the establishment of the airline as it has designed an arrangement where the airline would be funded on public private partnership (PPP).

The private sector will drive the airline while government intends to own less than 25 per cent equity while significant percentage of the equity would be sold to the core investor, which is an international carrier, that will also influence the establishment of a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO facility) that would be completed shortly after the take-off of the national carrier.

It was also learnt that an international carrier from the Middle East has indicated interest to partner the airlines and an international business tycoon may put his money in the airline as a significant investor.

In spite of the bleak history of airline operation in Nigeria and the failed Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Nigeria partnership, the plan to attract foreign investors for the new national carrier attracted surprising enthusiasm from overseas.